Govt moves to fill vacant CNMG chair

Several persons—female and male—are under consideration for the post of CNMG chairman, after last week’s resignation of ex-chairman Brian Stone, government officials said on Saturday. Contacted yesterday, Information Minister Suruj Rambachan confirmed recommendations have been made to the Government’s state board committee which is headed by the Prime Minister and an appointment is “imminent.” Other Government officials told the Guardian that the committee is expected to meet later this week.

Several people under consideration include long-standing female media practitioners, well-known top level private sector executives and a recently retired publishing chief executive. Government officials have made it clear that the successful candidate for a key state enterprise such as CNMG must possess a combination of proven top management and clinical assessment skills, dynamism and cutting-edge market savvy geared to CNMG’s current status and goals.

The candidate, they added, would also have to be geared specifically to treat with CNMG’s particular situation, raise its profile and ratings and especially restore credibility following months of loss of personnel from the station. This has included loss of media workers, administrative staff and one board member. Stone resigned last week, saying he had planned resigning since last year due to a “growing” conflict of interest regarding his position with the state-owned media entity and his role as a UNC party activist.